HELPFUL INFORMATION AFTER BEING IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND WORK INJURY

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Social Security Disability Help from Attorney NoyesIn addition to helping those injured in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, workers' compensation claims and other personal injury matters, Matthew Noyes helps the disabled fight to get the SSD benefits from the Social Security Administration.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I go to battle with State Farm almost every day on how they evaluate my client's car accident injuries and usually have negative things to say about how they put profit before people. But, I believe when someone does something good, they deserve recognition no matter who they are.

Approximately 200,000 car accidents a year are caused by drivers who are texting while driving. On Monday, State Farm Insurance Company released the insurance industry's first Android widget aimed at combating the problem of distracted driving by text messaging. The new "On the Move" widget allows Android smartphone users to compose and preload customized messages that can be sent as automated responses to incoming text messages. With the service, instead of reading and responding to text messages while driving or otherwise occupied, smartphone users can activate the service and let the widget respond for them.

"On the Move" users simply activate the auto-response function by turning on the widget and composing or selecting auto-response messages. Incoming text messages are still received and can be accessed in the user's inbox at any time.

There are other automated text-response applications on the market that responds to text messages when they are otherwise occupied. State Farm's is the first offered from an insurance company, and it is free.

For now, only some Smartphone owners will get to use it. According to the press release, this widget is available via the Android Market. "On the Move" is compatible with Android OS 1.5 and higher. Upon updating State Farm Pocket Agent™, Android users will be able to access "On the Move" through a widget available on smartphone home screens. The service is not available at this time on BlackBerry, Windows Mobile phone or iPhones.

Activating the service prior to driving is just one way to use the widget. Smartphone users also can use the service while in class, at the gym or in a movie.

Drive safely and watch out for those who don't. Pay attention to your driving and be prepared for drivers that are text-messaging while driving, talking on their cell phones, or otherwise being distracted.

Monday, August 23, 2010

My little boy started his pre-kindergarten class today (while my daughter started her last year of college a few days ago) and many other kids have already started or start school tomorrow. Whether your child walks, rides the bus or travel by car, here are a few tips that could help get them to and from school safely.

Tips for School Bus Riders

Do not play in the street while waiting for the bus. Students have been hit by passing cars as the cars passes the bus stops. Expect stupidity from drivers.

Line up facing the bus, not along side it.

Move immediately onto the sidewalk and out of traffic after getting off the bus.

Wait for a signal from the bus driver before crossing the street and walk at least 10 steps away from the front of the bus so the driver can see you. Some kids have been hit by the school bus after they get off of it because the driver did not see them cross in front of the bus.

Tips for Pedestrians or Bike Riders

Never walk alone – always travel with a buddy. Try and find a friend, or make a new friend in the neighborhood to walk to school or ride the bus with.

Wear reflective or bright color clothing to increase visibility.

Respect traffic lights and street signs.

Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle.

Tips for Car Drivers and Passengers

Make sure young children are in safety seats at all times, and that the seats have been properly installed.

All children under 13 years should ride in the rear seat of vehicles.

Remember that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers are going to and from school. You may want to limit the number of teen passengers to prevent driver distraction.

Do not allow your teen to drive while eating, drinking, or talking on a cell phone.

Taking these steps could save your child's life by avoiding an accident. I hope all kids have a safe and accident-free school year.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

With school starting, Facebook mania increasing, and laptop sales soaring, a new "disease" is becoming commonplace--"laptopitis." However, there are ways to prevent this condition.

According to an article in MedicalNewsToday.com, using a laptop almost inevitably leads to poor posture. Incorrect posture and computer overuse can cause debilitating physical problems, such as sore muscles or repetitive stress injuries. Typing can also cause carpal tunnel syndrome, an injury to the nerve that passes through the wrist.

According to the article, Kevin Carneiro, DO, a doctor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, recommends that when you work at a computer, your body should form 90-degree angles at your elbows, knees and hips. Meanwhile, your eyes should look straight ahead at the top third of the screen. However, the laptop setup prevents this optimal positioning.

For frequent laptop users, Carneiro said the ideal solution is to use a docking station. The station links a laptop to another monitor and keyboard or to a stand that raises the screen to a higher level. You can also use a FireWire or USB cable to connect your laptop to an extra monitor or keyboard, which you can then adjust to the proper height.

Other tips to prevent back injuries include:

Consider the weight of the laptop and its accessories. Remember, students don't only carrying laptops. Heavy textbooks add to the weight of the laptop a student carries to class everyday.

Use an adjustable chair with back support.

Adjust the laptop screen so you can read it without having to bend your neck. Use a docking station or books to prop it up.

Both your wrists and elbows should be supported when using the mouse. Set it up so that happens.

Take short breaks every 20 minutes to allow your muscles to rest in a different position. During your breaks, adjust your posture by shrugging your shoulder and gently rolling your head from side to side.

Watch for warning signs of overuse--neck and shoulder pain, headaches at the top of your head, wrist pain or tingling in your fingers, particularly in your thumb. These symptoms indicate that you need to take more frequent breaks, adjust your posture or see a doctor.

Drink plenty of water so your spinal discs are lubricated and healthy.

Don't fall victim of "laptopitis." Prevent injury with just a few easy steps.

When you are using your laptop, check out my legal website,MatthewNoyes.com, and see helpful information about car accidents, workers' compensation claims, social security disability claims, and other personal injury matters.

Monday, August 16, 2010

School is starting today for some areas and soon in other area of Tampa Bay. Now is a perfect time to brush up on the laws regarding when you are required to stop for a school bus.

Everyone knows that if you are going in the same direction of the school bus, you have to stop, but what if you are going in the opposite direction? When do you have to stop for a school bus on the opposite side of the road?

Florida law states that if you are going the opposite way as a school bus that is flashing red lights and has the stop arm extended, you must stop in front of the bus and cannot move until the bus retracts the stop arm and turns off the flashing red lights UNLESS:

you are on a divided highway and the one-way roadways are separated by an unpaved space at least five feet in width, or

you are on a divided highway and the one-way roadways are separated by a physical barrier.

A barrier is a continuous permanent or semi-permanent obstruction that makes it very difficult for a vehicle or pedestrian to go from one roadway to another. Examples of a barrier are a chain-link fence or a concrete abutment. Traffic cones or trees in a medium are not barriers. ALSO, PAINTED LINES, PAVEMENT MARKINGS, AND ONE- OR TWO-WAY LEFT-HAND TURN LANES DO NOT CONSTITUTE A BARRIER. Thus, if the road is separated only by left turn lanes, you MUST stop for the school bus.

Tips for Drivers:

Leave adequate space between your vehicle and the bus.

Be on the lookout for kids around school bus loading and unloading areas.

Pay attention; avoid distractions.

Pay attention to speed limits, school crossing guards and unpredictable children, since these situations may require you to reduce your speed or stop.

When children (walking, bicycling or skating) or school crossing guards are present in a crosswalk, drivers must yield or stop at the marked stop line and without stopping in the crosswalk. It is the driver’s responsibility to avoid colliding with pedestrians.

Tips for students:

Always walk to the bus stop. Never run.

Walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left facing traffic.

Wait for the bus to arrive, watch for red flashing lights and the Stop arm to extend.

Look left, right and left again before crossing the street.

It is never good when someone gets injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, but when a kid is injured, it makes it feel worse. Do your part to avoid a car accident or other accident involving school children. Being alert can save a life.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

What car should your high-schooler be driving when school starts up again? Recently, Consumer Reports provided its opinion on the best choices for teenagers shopping for a new car taking into consideration cars with safety features such as electronic stability control and curtain air bags and good crash-test results.

According to Consumer Reports, the following are the best cars for teenage drivers:

However, even the safest cars get into car accidents. The number reason for car accidents is distractions--cell phones, other people in the car, loud music, etc. Getting the safest car is the first step. The second step is educating the teenage drivers on how to prevent car accidents. For a free informational card on "10 Ways Parents Can Help Teens Be Safe Drivers," send me an email with your name and address.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Lower back (lumbar) radicular pain, also referred to as sciatica, is most commonly caused by lumbar disc herniation and inflammation of the affected nerve roots. A recent study from Australian researchers determined that transforaminal injection of steroids was a viable alternative to surgery for lumbar radicular pain due to disc herniation. Click here for an article from MedicalNewsToday.com for more information on this research.

After a car accident, workers' compensation claim or other injury, injections of steroids by various routes have been used as an alternative to surgery to reduce the inflammation and relieve the pain with epidural steroid injection (ESI) being the most widely used steroid treatment for pain relief. However, transforaminal injection - the injection of steroids directly and accurately onto the affected spinal nerve under radiologic guidance - has proved more effective than interlaminar injection of steroids with respect to pain relief and improvement of disability.

Under the new study, a significantly greater proportion of patients treated with transforaminal injection of steroid (54%) achieved relief of pain than did patients treated with transforaminal injection of local anaesthetic (7%) or transforaminal injection of saline (19%), intramuscular steroids (21%) or intramuscular saline (13%).